


A New Cycle is Still Just a Cycle

by Lethotep



Series: Theoretical Battle Scenarios and other secrets [4]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Ambiguity, Gen, Papyrus Has Issues, Papyrus Knows More Than He Lets On, Papyrus centric, Papyrus needs more sleep, poor communication
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2016-06-16
Packaged: 2018-07-15 09:42:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7217362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lethotep/pseuds/Lethotep
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some fallout from the first of Frisks runs. Some realities are faced. Some decisions are made. And other decisions are not made.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A New Cycle is Still Just a Cycle

It had honestly been a relief when the reset finally came.

 

Papyrus couldn’t even pretend to deny it to himself.

 

Waking up with a jolt and seeing his action figures arranged in a specific order not used in weeks, Mettaton figures sitting one row back, he checked the date. He took a deep breath.

 

Shaking slightly, he climbed out of bed. He opened his door and peered down the steps. There was no sign of Undyne, or any of the mess to indicate she’d been staying there the last month.

 

He booted up his computer, motions deceptively calm. He had to make sure.

 

Alphys was online.

 

Thank goodness!

 

The human had done it.

 

They’d done it!

 

Small tremors still ran through his bones as the reality hit him full force.

 

(It was real.)

 

But it was okay, he could fix things!

 

He could!

 

He would figure it out.

 

While he was online, he might as well get ready for the day to come. Maybe start trying to fix things. It was much earlier than it was last time he’d asked, but he sent Alphys a message asking if she had any brilliant puzzles he could borrow anyway.

 

He made extra sure to tell her just how _amazing_ she was, hoping it came across how important she was.

 

He couldn’t let it happen again.

 

She quickly replied, and said she’d send something after she’d finished reviewing some footage.

 

Great!

 

After profuse thanks, he also scrolled through his feed and liked all of her newest status updates. He hoped he could be a better friend to her this time. Maybe if she had more friends she wouldn’t…

 

 _Go away_...

 

He shook his head. He’d go for his run while she finished her work, just because he was getting a jump on things and trying to make sure some things wouldn’t - _couldn’t_ happen, didn’t mean he could go against the series of events he’s done that da- today.

 

Not entirely.

 

He wouldn’t know what to expect otherwise, he rationalised.

 

He hadn’t realised how used to that he’d gotten until the human had gone weeks without resetting.

 

Not knowing what was going to happen.

 

Gosh, his usual schedule had changed a lot in the last - the _lost_ few weeks!

 

He’d still ended up in an unchanged daily cycle anyway regardless, a small bitter voice told him. He pushed that thought away and buried it for good measure.

 

Unhelpful!

 

There was one thing he _had_ to face however.

 

He really didn’t want to admit to the reality...

 

He had done such a good job ignoring what had been happening for the longest time...

 

But he’d _asked_ the human to reset, to bring everyone back. To return Undyne’s friends - to bring back her previously thought to be unstoppable drive.

 

He’d asked Flowey first, actually _outright_ asked Flowey!

 

Flowey had sullenly told him he couldn’t help. He couldn’t do anything, even with the human gone.

 

But the phone-call had worked!

 

He’d faced up to the reality of the… the… resets, and it had made a difference!

 

He couldn’t pretend it had all just been dreams anymore. The vivid, unending memories that plagued his sleep and leaked into his waking life more and more.

 

Today was a new day.

 

He would not give up!

 

He would not give up even harder now that he knew it was possible for even _Undyne_ to give up!

 

He would fix it!

 

He would!

 

He wondered if he should bring it up to Sans. But he didn’t know if it would help, dragging his brother into this…

 

Sans had his own problems, and Papyrus didn’t want to add to that.

 

.

.

.

 

When he met with Flowey much earlier during his morning run, they shared a look. Flowey didn’t bring up their last conversation, but it was clear something had changed in the way they interacted.

 

Flowey seemed more guarded towards him, which made Papyrus sad. He tried not to change how he acted towards in return, to try and show Flowey that him knowing didn’t change anything!

 

Flowey was still his friend.

 

Still, they both knew what to do today at least. They’d adapt to any changes the human caused, but they knew what to expect now. Papyrus wondered what it must be like for him, being on the outside like this after being the one in control for so long.

 

Maybe that's why Flowey was acting so different now as well.

 

He wondered if Flowey was going to try and regain his control over things again.

 

Or if he would continue with his plan to get one of those souls, he still didn't know what went wrong last time. Papyrus couldn't fault him for wanting a soul again.

 

That's why he had helped him last time. Why he would help him this time.

 

He was sure that having a soul would help Flowey.

 

He hoped so.

 

.

.

.

 

Sans woke up to the sound of Papyrus banging on his door yelling for him to get ready for work.

 

He opened his eyes, before rolling over and pulling the blanket back over his head.

 

Five minutes later Papyrus was back, banging on the door.

 

Rolling himself straight on to the floor, pulling his blanket with him,  he grabbed the crumpled jacket lying next to him on the floor and after about ten minutes of personal struggle within himself he managed to sit up and pull it on.

 

He could hear Papyrus moving around the house downstairs like a tornado of energy. Man… His brother was amazing.

 

After five years of staring blankly at his slippers he finally stood up and slipped them on to his feet.

 

Welp. Time to exist.

 

The morning passed with an overwhelming sense of deja vu, and after Papyrus flew out of the door, microwave in arm he decided to confirm his thoughts.

 

Well… After breakfast.

 

Taking the path of least resistance, Sans took a shortcut to the side of the house to enter the backroom.

 

Opening a drawer he pulled it out completely, and detached the notebook stuck to the back exterior of the drawer. He ignored the drawing inside the drawer, too tired to think about that right now. Honestly he would have kept the picture in the house instead, but seeing it upset Papyrus for some reason.

 

He didn’t know why, Papyrus was the one who drew it _years_ ago after all. But… that wasn’t something they spoke about after that one argument.

 

He didn't know why he made such an effort to keep the notebook hidden though, it wasn't like it mattered at all. Still, it was a remnant of something, some behaviour he couldn't really remember the meaning behind. The book itself was a remnant as well, and the only thing that seemed to survive through timelines.

 

Flipping through the pages he read the newest additions.

 

Huh.

 

A human?

 

That was kinda hilarious. Heh.

 

The humor dampened as he read what happened afterwards. Well, from what he was able to figure out.

 

Why did he have to troll himself from another reality?

 

‘sad fish’ and ‘queen back’ were not hugely helpful notes by themselves, but it was enough to let him know change was coming.

 

Honestly, it was more the feelings of familiarity that started flooding in that helped him fill in the gaps, more than the notes themselves anyway. They were just a trigger of sorts.

 

Okay…

 

A feeling stirred in him, attempting to get his attention, to try and make him do something... but it quickly collapsed under the weight of the pointlessness of it all.

 

After all, it had clearly reset in the end anyway. Whatever had happened didn't matter anymore.

 

Ah well.

 

Time to experience the day.

 

At least seeing a human for the first time would make Papyrus happy.

 

That’d be worth it at least.

 

.

.

.

 

The puzzle Alphys had lent him had been much easier to set up this time, having done it before really made a difference, even with the illegible notes he was sure he understood the mechanisms well enough to know which panels did what now as well!

 

It looked like he would be able to finish up much sooner than before!

 

 _That_ dog had come up to play with him while he was doing so however, and had decided to run off with one of the final parts _just_ as he had been about to finish up!

 

With a yell, Papyrus dashed after the dog as it yipped it’s way through the woods running back and forth with manic glee.

 

By the time the dog had been valiantly captured, and secured tightly (but gently) in his arms as he walked back to the puzzle, the time he’d made up with his prior knowledge had all but vanished.

 

Sighing, and petting the small dog absently as he slotted the final pieces into place, he mentally prepared to face the human once more!

 

He hoped things would be better this time!

 

No.

  
They would be!


End file.
